“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

Month: January 2017

Standing in front of my desk, I looked at the different books. Clearly, I am an eclectic reader but my passion lies with poetry. Poetry for me is excising our inner demons and every poet has a signature style. I love entering a poet’s domain. I study initially what they rhymed or didn’t. How did they use alliteration?

I lingered with Seamus Heaney this morning. His rhymes are not smooth at all but they work well (dungarees and rosaries, whops and footsteps, joys and tallboys). There are the typical ones like (dose and rose) too. I enjoy reading all kinds of rhymes because some are smooth as glass and others are clunky as heels on a hardwood floor. What matters most is the minute detail that a poet uses to create his/her work. Heaney to me is down to earth with his plainly spoken words that give the reader an extraordinary view of everyday existence. There are no illusions with Heaney. He challenges demons with delightful anecdotes.

Poetry contributor William Logan comments, “The younger Heaney wrote like a man possessed by demons, even when those demons were very literary demons; the older Heaney seems to wonder, bemusedly, what sort of demon he has become himself.” [i] I feel like I’m battling demons in my writing all the time, I think we all do.

Sally Yates just did something extremely rare. She made a decision based on principle rather than on political party or personal gain/risk. She had to know she would be dismissed for doing what she did, but she did it anyway.

We don’t see that very often in politics in the US. Members of both parties need to take note. So should voters.

I am an avid reader of women in history. Eleanor Roosevelt with all of her contributions and her flaws is one of my role models. I was delighted to discover two different authors with very different perspectives about her.

I’ve especially enjoyed all three books written by Blanche Wiesen Cook about her life. Ms. Cook presented a highly favorable accounting of Eleanor. Then I came across The Firebrand and the First Lady by Patricia Bell-Scott which introduced another portrait of Eleanor in a less favorable light with her interactions with Pauli Murray. As I read, I pondered the time frame and the restrictions placed on women, people of color and interference in their sexual preferences. Eleanor and Pauli lived in difficult times for women. Women have gained momentum but sadly, there are still many unresolved issues when it comes to race, equality, and humanity itself. Unfortunately, some people believe they are entitled to judge others.

What woman in history do you admire? Are there books about your choice you would recommend reading?

Regrettably, I feel our country has entered dark times with this present leadership. It saddens me immensely to see all the gains women have made in history tossed to the curb with a flick of a pen, coupled with the blatant male arrogance. It frightens me to think of a return to persecution based on race, religion or culture.

With that said, I feel Eleanor’s notable quotes apply now more than ever. Please don’t forget —

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

You must do the things you think you cannot do.

Thank you for joining me for a cup of coffee this overcast Sunday afternoon in Jersey.

Did you know the word crochet is a French word meaning small hook? Now, these little hooks come in a variety of different materials like for instance bone, bamboo, aluminum, plastic, and steel. My preference is aluminum because of how easily the yarn slides across the hook. I did give bamboo a try but soon discovered that my cat had gnawed on it giving it a rough texture and the yarn kept snagging. 😦

Crocheting appeals to me over knitting because each stitch is completed before I move onto the next one with the exception of Tunisian. That’s a different approach to crocheting and once completed is hot whereas typical crocheting has more breathability. I’ve done several scarves in this style and wrapping them like an infinity scarf was too much.

“1. Chain Stitch – the most basic of all stitches and used to begin most projects. 2. Slip Stitch – used to join chain stitch to form a ring. 3. Single Crochet Stitch (called Double Crochet Stitch in the UK) – easiest stitch to master Single Crochet Stitch Tutorial 4. Half Double Crochet Stitch (called Half Treble Stitch in the UK) – the ‘in-between’ stitch Half-Double Crochet Tutorial 5. Double Crochet Stitch (called Treble Stitch in the UK) – many uses for this unlimited use stitch Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial while the horizontal distance covered by these basic stitches is the same, they differ in height and thickness.”~wikipedia

One of the enjoyable things I discovered was a website offering free crochet patterns. http://www.free-crochet.com The reason it excited me was the opportunity to try a pattern to see if it’s something I’ll really enjoy doing. The days of accumulating crochet books that collect dust are over for this girl.

My current project is a beanie style hat to match the baby blanket I just finished. It’s a modern granny square blanket that came together quickly while riding in the car on a road trip. I haven’t blocked it yet, so it has some ripples in but once that is done it will lie smooth. The hat I’m doing in pale pink.

The only downfalls to crocheting for me are my three furballs that love to grab the ball of yarn I’m working with and roll it across the room.

“You’ve been tasked with ghostwriting a memoir for an extremely unusual person. You come up with many opening lines to the book, but one of them you write as a joke just to amuse yourself at how absurd the person’s story is. But now that person wants you to use that line. Share it…”

Discovered this on Writers Digest and thought I could have fun with this, while I’m working on my opening lines, what would be yours?

Tell Me A StoryAbout The
Monkey in Business
ah, The Thrill of Mass IntimacyCollaborators
Resisters
Now Lovers
Conspiracy
Corruption
What No Murder
Of, Course I Have Questions
Leave Me with No Illusions
with Sideshow Glances
Simply All the Mortifications.